RAILWAY MATTERS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4906, 23 November 1925, Page 2

RAILWAY MATTERS.

’—— ■ ' TRAFFIC BRIDGE & FLAG STATION * NOT FAVOURED BY OFFICIALS. . On Friday last officials of the N.Z. Railway Department made a tour of inspection of the new railway station and yards and various other improvements at present being carried out by the-department at Paeroa. Included in the party were Messrs Jones,. . ’ chairman of the Railways Board, W. H. Hales., superintendent for the North Island, Widdup, chief engineer, J. K. Lowe, district engineer, and W. Welsh, business agent. The visit of the officials was availed of by His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall), who, with Crs. P. E. Brenan and E. Edwards, -waited, on the party and formally brought the request for; an overhead traffic bridge ; at Hill Street before them. It is • "understood that the proposal , „ was .not very favourably received, and that the request for the bridge would only be considered provided the council wius prepared to pay the. full cost. ~ The request put forward last month by the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce for a flag-station at. Paeroa- was also introduced by the Mayor, who pointed out the disadvantage that was being experienced by visitors to Paeroa, . especially those from Karangahake and Waihi, since .the railway station had been removed. The officials expressed, themselves . as being willing to provide fjiciliti l s for the travelling public wherever possible, but pointed out the impracticability of erecting a flag-station at any point between the present station and the town side of the Ohinemuri River on .account of the grade, which had been, increased owing to the raising of the line and the height of the new railway bridge. The chief engineer also pointed out that" in addition to there being adouble line on the left side of the river, with an increased grade in the line corresponding with the town side, ■ it would not be possible to provide a flag-station that wquld.be of convenience to Paeroa because in order to select a suitable stopping site tor trains it would be necessary .to avoid . stopping on the grade, and to do that . a flag-station would be as far, away,' or further, from the centre of the town as .the present station, and obviously the question of convenience was : defeated. It was gathered from the engineers that it was practically impossible to grant the request. The party went on to Thames by special ’ train from Paeroa. and re- : turned to Waihi in the evening, Spending the night there and leaving for Rotorua on Saturday morning.